The Knights of Wardland: The Diary of Lost Souls Episode 1
by captainward
Summary: The Diary is calling . . . Knight Steve is a knight of Wardland, an order of knights sworn to protect the Minecraft world of Wardland. But one day, he receives a diary from a mysterious player. He soon finds out the diary talks to him. Tells him to open it. Knight Steve feels that he shouldn't, but every day it gets harder and harder to ignore the diary and its voice . . .
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _ **"HRRRRRR HGRRRRRR"**_

In the dark forest, the zombie shambled over with both hands outstretched, looking on as dead as his body. It wore blue pants and a blue-green shirt that were both torn and frayed. On the grassy ground, a girl in black dress screamed as she sat up on the ground covering herself with her arms and with fear on her face.

"Get away!" Knight Steve cried out, coming over to the zombie. He held his sword and he had on full iron armor including his iron helmet, breastplate, leggings, and boots, The full moon's light glinted off of his armor, one of the few sources of light this night as the rest of the woods was dark with only the barest torchlight illuminating the various trees in the forest

The girl screamed again at the advancing zombie, its deadened moan sounding in the night air. She tried to scoot back on the ground, but the zombie kept shambling towards her.

Just as it was about to get close to the girl, Knight Steve swung his sword. The zombie blinked red and staggered back away from the both of them. That was good for one hit, he thought as he panted. The fighting had raged all night. Around them in the woods, the sound of swords and armor sounded as his other compatriots joined in the fight to save the newly arrived players. As knights of Wardland, they were sworn to protect all players, new and old, in this land, this particular spawn point always a danger especially at night.

He turned to the girl cowering on the ground. "Go," he said. The girl heeded his command and ran to the other players, who were all trying desperately trying to stay alive and stay behind the defending knights.

The zombie finally noticed him.

 _Hrrrrrr,_ it moaned again as the undead creature, his arms always in front of it, marched towards him. He was ready for it, he was a knight of Wardland after—

Aghhhhh

Unbeknownst to him, another zombie grabbed ahold of him. They both crashed to the ground, the zombie atop of him. Knight Steve grimaced in pain and started blinking; he could already tell he was losing hearts. As they wrestled on the ground, he tried to push the zombie off of him, but it always managed to keep hold. It once more clung to him, and again, he felt the pain.

Before he could even think about what to do next, another zombie hurtled itself at him on the ground. Knight Steve blinked again and again as the zombie hungrily attacked him, his hearts were running so low . . .

"ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!" shouted twin voices and the next thing Knight Steve knew, the zombies staggered away from him. He immediately stopped blinking and looked up. Before him, his two best friends Knight Duper and Knight Aaron, both clad in iron armor, had saved him, sending both the zombies back further. The two knights swung their swords again, one for each zombie, until finally the zombies poofed leaving only their deadened flesh and green globules of XP on the dark ground.

Knight Aaron, who had dark hair, ran towards the newly arrived players while Knight Duper reached out a hand towards his friend, Knight Steve. "Come on," he said.

Knight Steve took his hand and lifted himself off the ground. "Thanks," he said eagerly with a smile. It was great to have so good of friends he could always count on. "I appreciate—"

It seemed Knight Steve couldn't catch a break. On his back, an arrow had sailed in the air and landed squarely on his back, causing him to blink once more. Wardland was so filled with danger at night when the monsters came . . .

From behind a set of oak trees, three skeletons stepped out holding bow and arrows menacingly in their hands. One already had one arrow strung up on its bow while on its bony face, it seemed like the skeleton had a hideous smile.

Knight Aaron hurried towards the other two knights. "What's going—Oh," He had noticed the advancing skeleton archers.

Knight Steve, Knight Duper, and Knight Aaron readied their swords. "ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!" they screamed as they charged towards the skeletons. Without any sort of melee weapons, the skeletons didn't stand a chance. The skeletons tried to string up their arrows but blow after blow landed until finally, they poofed leaving only a set of bones and even a single bow on the ground. The green XP the skeletons left behind hurtled straight for the knights, which they collected. Knight Steve could tell his XP bar already increased. That already made him feel better.

But the fight wasn't over, a creeper scurried over eager to blow itself up and take the knights with it. The three knights readied their swords in defense once more. Of all the monsters, Knight Steve disliked the creepers the most. When he was a rookie knight, he had fought a creeper almost to the death with only one heart remaining. He wasn't keen to repeat that experience.

Ok, he thought as he tried to remember his training, strike then fall back, strike then fall back. Knight Aaron, however, always the impulsive one, charged forward and tried to strike. Knight Duper had no choice but to move in and try to destroy it before . . . Knight Steve's eyes widened as the sizzling sound of gunpowder lighting up sounded in the air.

The creeper had fallen back, but it kept blinking and that meant . . .

A sword swung, felling the creeper to the ground and neutralizing the threat. Knight Ward, their leader in iron armor and wearing a black cape, emerged from the darkness not even stopping to savor his victory. "Save the villagers," he commanded as he moved through the forest towards the newly arrived players, who were all corralled together. Other knights had formed a circle around them to defend them from monsters. One held a single torch in the air. The light acted like a beacon in the dark woods.

"Let's move!" Knight Ward commanded as he led the way.

Knight Steve went to a straggling newly arrived player, a mother with a baby in her arms and helped her along.

The assembled party, the knights and the gathering of newly arrived players, who looked haggard and stressed out, moved through the woods in search of safety. Amongst the gathering, the girl in the black dress still had fear in her eyes.

Knight Steve looked back at the newly arrived players. They were, of course, headed to Wardland City, the only place safe from monsters. A sophisticated lighting system kept the city bright at night and that, in turn, prevented the monsters from spawning. He sometimes wished there wasn't so much light in the city but it beats having to worry about monsters spawning in the streets. Sometimes, though, one would sneak through. That's why they needed the Night Guard. He sometimes wondered if there were other worlds where vicious monsters didn't spawn in the dark. That would be something.

The smell of battle changed quickly to the crisp smell of the forest as they continued to hurry through the woods. They weren't out of danger yet, he knew. But all they had to do was reach the walls of Wardland and they would be safe.

 _Ahhhhhhh_

The scream took him out of his thoughts and turning his head, he saw something that chilled his heart. A girl, a newly arrived player with a flower in her hair, was dangling in the air encased in spider webbing.

And from the top branches, a giant spider with red markings on its back slid down its webbing towards its prey. The spider's six blood eyes cast down on the young girl with hunger and greed.

Though his heart skipped a beat, Knight Steve reacted at once and hurried towards the monster. He was the closest knight to her. If he couldn't save her, she'll end up in the stomach of that monster.

Fatigue had set in as he charged towards the spider but he continued onwards. Arrows would be good right about now, he thought, but he knew from his training you go with the weapon you have not with the weapon you want. He kept running, but he was too late. He knew he wasn't going to make it. The spider was already nearing the young girl, ready to strike the death blow.

In desperation, Knight Steve threw his sword straight at the creature. Away it went as it wound in the air until it struck at the giant spider, which blinked red and fell down to the grass. Enraged, the spider reared up on its four legs and hissed, clacking its pincered mouth in anger.

That's not good, he thought. Now he only had had his fists to protect them. They were trained to fight hand to hand but that still won't be enough to take down the spider.

Other knights joined him, and they too saw the spider. They gasped slightly upon seeing it.

"Save her," Knight Steve told the two knights as he looked up at the young girl still dangling in the spider webbing.

"What about you, s—"

"Don't worry about me!" Knight Steve said aloud as he ran to the spider. He was trying to draw the spider away from the other knights to give them time to save the girl.

The spider obliged and struck at Knight Steve, who evaded just in time by lunging forwards and doing a forward roll. He panted. That was hard to do especially in armor.

The spider wasn't intimidated. It clacked again knowing no doubt that it was at an advantage. Crafting Table, Knight Steve thought. If he could set down a crafting table, he could fashion a weapon. Even a wooden sword is better than nothing.

Quickly, he set his plan in motion. He ran to a nearby clearing in the woods and set down the crafting table, but before he could craft a new weapon, the spider batted the crafting table away, sending it barreling away from him.

Knight Steve bit his lower lip. This wasn't good. Seeming to sense that it had the upper hand, the giant spider rushed to him, and then at the last moment, it lunged. High up in the air it went ready to plunge its pincered mouth through his iron armor and straight to his heart.

Knight Steve could only watch. There wasn't any time to evade the attack . . .

At the last moment, a hail of arrows landed on the spider. It crashed to the side even as Knight Duper, Knight Aaron, and Knight Ward hurried into the clearing to join him. His friends, they saved him.

"Here," Knight Aaron said, throwing a spare wooden sword at him.

Knight Steve caught it. "Figures," he mumbled to himself, glancing at the wooden sword. Why does he always get weapons when he _least_ needed it?

"ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!" Knight Ward shouted out, commanding them to charge at the now outnumbered spider . . .

Forming the rear of the assembled party, they hurried now towards the city. They had made quick work of the giant spider, and now they were headed home to safety.

Ahead, the walls of Wardland loomed. A gate marked the entrance into the city with its portcullis raised up to admit the assembled party inside. A multitude of torches lined the walls and the gate, a precaution to keep from monsters spawning in the dark.

Night watchmen manned the twin gate towers. They had their bow and arrows at the ready ever on the lookout for any monsters that may lurk in the woods.

The assembled party, some knights along with the first of the newly arrived players, entered the gate. They ran into the city still in fear and traumatized at what they had experienced. Knight Steve was the last to enter; he was helping an old player enter the city, and once they passed through, the portcullis lowered shut straight to the ground behind them . . .


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

 **IT WAS MORNING IN WARDLAND.**

The city itself couldn't be any more different than at night. In the outskirts of the city (but still behind the city walls), farmers, with their farmhouses close by, planted their crops and used their hoes to till the ground or even redirected water into pits for irrigation. Already, golden stalks of wheat were growing taller and taller becoming closer and closer to harvesting. Potatoes, carrots and watermelons were also growing in their own fields closed in by attractive cobblestone walls. Pumpkin patches grew in their vines to be later used for delicious pumpkin pies.

Closer in, people woke up in their townhouses and homes to begin their day, and in the downtown area of Wardland, tradesmen and merchants were already at their posts in their various shops to await customers. Tall and grand structures dotted the center of the city including the Wardland Apartments, an old castle converted into housing, the cathedral for worship with a prominent cross atop its steeple, and in the very center of Wardland, there stood a structure called the Wardland Mayan Temple. Made of smooth sandstone, it was a pyramid-like structure and the most famous landmark in all of Wardland used mainly for the Nether portal.

And in another corner of Wardland, there stood Castle Wardland, the headquarters and home of The Knights of Wardland. Knights entered and exited the structure and other knights manned the walls and ramparts as part of their duties to defend the castle.

In the keep, however, in one of the rooms, Knight Steve slept in his bed.

He was late.

The chirps of morning birds awoke him, and his eyes slowly opened. "Uhhhhh," he groaned as he began to wake up from a deep sleep. His room was nicely sized, not too big and not too small mainly consisting of his bed, a crafting table in the corner, and two combined chests for storage in both corners by the walls. The castle windows held an almost panoramic of view of Wardland, the Wardland Mayan Temple, which was almost as tall as Castle Wardland.

As he raised himself up from his bed and blinked to get rid of the last of his sleepiness, something felt off. Was he forgetting something? Let's see, what time is it anyway . . . !

The Arrival Ceremony!

Quickly, he jumped out of bed and the chest opened with a thwunk. Today was the Arrival Ceremony when knights like him would head to the town hall and welcome the new arrivals to Wardland. Hurrying he put on his iron breastplate, helm, leggings, and boots, and bolted out of the room.

Through the halls of the Castle, lit up by torches, he ran. Some of the knights, already ready for the day, turned to look at him as he bolted past them.

I'm late, he thought, I'm late.

He went down the spiral staircase, and finally landed on the main floor of the castle. Still yet more halls and corridors and finally, he reached the stables.

Horses stood restively in their stalls with hay close by in bales and on the ground for eating and rest. It was smellier in the stables than the rest of the castle, smelling faintly of horse poop.

Knight Steve went up to his stall where his horse, Durandal, was at. It neighed and its hooves clattered upon seeing him.

"Hi boy," he said patting the horse's head gently. "Don't have time to play, I'm late!"

He took the horse out and quickly hopped on and with a kick they rode fast. Durandal, encouraged by Knight Steve, sped through the last corridor until they made it outside to the city itself.

The sun shone down and he had to squint a bit, the castle being darker than the outside, but they hurried once more through the city's cobblestone streets. "Let's go, let's go," he urged.

Durandal heeded his command and sped some more. They had to be careful not to run over anybody but most went out of the way to some mild annoyance by the pedestrians.

One wasn't so lucky, he dropped the bread he was holding to get out of the way of the thundering horse, and he gave Knight Steve a mean look.

"Sorry!" he said back as he sped away.

With the Wardland Mayan Temple, its pyramid-like shape rising up into the sky framing the skyline, he went until he thankfully came nearer and nearer to the town hall, a handsome brick and marble structure with a central Capitol dome as its most telling feature.

Knight Steve hopped out of his horse and hitched his horse to the side of the town hall. Once doing so, he ran up the steps into the town hall. He ran as fast as he could until he finally made it to the auditorium.

Once the double doors opened, his heart sank.

The auditorium, with the smooth flooring of stone slabs and marble walls, was already filled with people. The newly arrived players occupied several stations to what looked like a triage system. The most injured, the ones needing the most heart regeneration, lay in beds while the less injured stood together in several spots getting checked on by various knights. Knight Dr. Dirkson, the head doctor, checked on a particularly precocious girl.

"Hold still," Knight Doctor Dirkson said. Unlike the other knights in the auditorium, he wore a white lab coat.

"I'm fine," the girl, with sandy hair and wearing a green top with brown pants, said, batting away the bandages. She had a gash on her head.

"Just hold still . . ."

Knight Steve turned his attention away from them once he noticed Knight Ward checking on a report. He was by a group of newly arrived players, a normal family wearing jeans and shirts with baby in tow. An attendant knight stood by Knight Ward as he read the report.

With a sigh, Knight Steve went towards Knight Ward to report to duty.

"You're late," Knight Ward said as he came towards him. He didn't bother to look up from the report he read in his hand.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Knight Steve said sheepishly.

Knight Ward gave back the report to the attendant knight and focused back on Knight Steve. "You're on food duty," he said, turning his head to a makeshift table. Atop it lay several boxes that said "Rations." A mod was most likely used to create it as it wasn't in the normal set of craftable items made in a crafting table.

"All for one and one for all," Knight Steve mumbled, and with lowered shoulders, he went towards the table where the rations were at. He didn't like disappointing people and looking around, Knight Duper and Knight Aaron were already helping out the older knights hand out leaflets to the newly arrived players. He'd read the leaflets before. It detailed the various job opportunities they could do and housing options in Wardland to better acclimate themselves in the city.

Knight Steve reached the table and grabbed a handful of the ration boxes. Well at least on this part, he didn't screw up. One by one, he opened the ration boxes and gave out its contents to the thankful new players.

"You're welcome," Knight Steve said, after hearing a thank you and handing out a loaf of bread to a newly arrived player who wore the hood and cowl from the game, Assassin's Creed. The other contents inside the ration box included a porkchop, a baked potato, and delicious mushroom stew in a wooden bowl.

He made his way to the next person who with a second look was the same girl who had argued with the doctor knight. She had her arms folded as she sat on a wooden table.

"Here you go," he said. He was already looking to the next player he had to give food to when he handed a bowl of mushroom stew to the girl.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, spurning the food.

Knight Steve turned back at the unexpected refusal. He didn't know what the protocol was when someone refused food.

"Just take it," Knight Steve said back, eager to move on.

"I said I'm not hungry."

Knight Steve stopped for a moment trying to think of what to do. The bowl of mushroom stew was still in his hand. "You don't have to eat it, just take it," he finally said, offering the bowl once more.

"And I don't want it," the girl shot back, giving him a 'duh' look.

Knight Steve sighed. Well, he guessed he'll just place the ration down on the table, that way it'll still be dispensed and accounted for. "Suit yourself," he said.

"Say," the girl said while he put the bowl of mushroom stew on the wood table. "You're one of those knights."

"Um yeah," Knight Steve said. He began to place the other rations: the bread and porkchop on the table.

"I want to be one of those," the girl said, seemingly more interested than before. "I'm Alex. I want to be Knight Alex."

Knight Steve gave a sideways glance at her pronouncement. "You don't become a knight," he said. "You're chosen." He himself was chosen from school to be taught as a knight.

"Well how do you get chosen?"

He was ready to go. Besides, as far as he knew, girls weren't allowed to become knights. "I don't really know."

"Well, if you have any tips, just tell me," Alex said with an eager look on her face.

"Uh ok," Knight Steve said as he turned away from the weird girl. He didn't think he would give her any tips, but he was just trying to be nice.

Ration box in hand, he moved on to the next person in need. In a dark corner of the auditorium an old woman sat alone on a chair. Old and decrepit, the old woman wore rags and had a triangular hat on her head. Wrinkles creased her face and there was an ugly wart on her nose. She turned around as she approached him. Her eyes were yellow.

Knight Steve stopped for a moment upon seeing the old woman but then he walked warily towards her. To be honest, she kind of scared him. "H-Here you go," he said, handing out a loaf of bread.

A gnarled bony hand reached out and took the bread. "Thank you, sonny," the old woman said with what looked like a sneer on her face. "Always appreciate it when a strong young lad helps out a feebleold woman like me." She gave him a smile with plenty of missing and rotten teeth inside.

Knight Steve looked away and proceeded to give the rest of the rations. Actually, he decided to just place the whole box on the floor. He can always get another box. The old woman creeped him out!

"Ok," he said getting back up. He turned around to try to make a quick exit but a bony hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. The grip was surprisingly strong.

"Wait," the old woman said as Knight Steve turned back around to her. "I have a present for you . . ."

"That's really not necess—"

The old woman didn't listen to him. Letting go, she retrieved something from her side: an old dusty leather bound book.

The gnarled bony hand reached out and the dusty tome came nearer and nearer. Weird symbols were scratched on the cover along with a language he didn't know. "I insist . . ."

Knight Steve grew very uncomfortable. They weren't allowed to accept gifts by people. But maybe if he took it, he can get out and that'll be the end of it. It's an old book anyways.

His hand reached out and took the book in his hand but upon touching it, what seemed like voices sounded in his head.

 _Hashafahshafasha Hashafashafasha_

Knight Steve shook his head and the voices vanished as mysteriously as it appeared. Did that just happen? he thought.

The old woman had the widest malicious grin on her face as he put the book in his inventory.

"I—I have to go now," he said.

She didn't reply. She only watched him with those yellowed eyes of her. He left her there, his mind muddled and suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in his own skin.

Knight Ward watched Knight Steve leave the old woman. He had seen her hand something to him and for some reason, something felt off about it. Hmmmm, he said to himself, eyeing the old woman and the whole situation suspiciously.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **THE ARRIVAL CEREMONY** ended quickly. Food was dispensed as well as extra clothing and apartments to live in at the Wardland Apartments. Knight Ward had given a speech to the new arrivals wishing everyone good luck and that he knew they would all become productive members of Wardland. More importantly, he had said here inside the walls they would be safe and they need no longer fear the dark. Tears flowed down the cheeks of some of the women upon hearing those words while their husbands consoled them. They had arrived from other worlds and now they were home.

Knight Steve and the rest of the Knights of Wardland left shortly thereafter, but their day wasn't over. They had many duties left to do. Still daytime, his contingent went to a mine just outside the city walls. Wardland needed all the resource blocks it can get and mining was one of the many duties of a Knight of Wardland.

A cobblestone block whisked away to Knight Steve as he mined his iron pickaxe at the stone wall. He was inside a cave, though the entrance was closeby, along with Knight Aaron, Knight Duper, and Knight Trent. They didn't speak much as they mined the cave, this wasn't exactly their most favorite activity. Nearby, a river flowed quietly just outside their cave mine.

While the other knights seemed to only be concentrating on their current activity, Knight Steve had other things on his mind as he swung his pickaxe.

Those voices, Knight Steve thought. What was that? His pickaxe mined another portion of the stone wall, sending another cobblestone block to his inventory. He looked up and swung his pickaxe to the stone roof of the cave.

He could have sworn he heard voices and he just knew it wasn't in his head. He heard it as if a person next to him whispered that . . . jibberish?

The old lady had given him that book and then the voices came but he hadn't heard an—

"Watch out!"

Before he knew it, someone had tackled him to the ground even as a cascade of gravel blocks fell down — right where he had just standing.

It was Knight Duper who had saved him and they both had crashed to the ground, their iron armor rustling. "You didn't see that?" Knight Duper said incredulously gesturing to the gravel blocks stacked on top of one another.

"I—um," Knight Steve stammered. He truly didn't see that. He was out of it. "I, um—"

 _Hafashafasha Hafashafasha_

"Knight Steve?" Knight Duper asked. He was looking at him weird and worried at the same time.

"Um no." Knight Steve picked himself up and Knight Duper did the same, though he was still worried for his friend.

He went over to the pickaxe he dropped and set back to working the mine. The other knights only stared at him as he did so, not saying a word.

In the town hall, Knight Ward stood in the mayor's office. By the window, Mayor Hobbes, a slightly portly fellow, looked out the window to the view of the industrial quarter, his hands firmly behind him. Around them, the mayor's grand office consisted of red carpeting, bookshelves on the sidewalls, several banners as decoration, and the mayor's desk, made of spruce wood in front of Knight Ward.

Mayor Hobbes was talking, his lips were certainly moving, but Knight Ward wasn't listening. He was thinking about what he had seen. Back in the arrival ceremony, he had seen an old lady give something to Knight Steve. It seemed like a book but he wasn't totally sure about it. That was innocuous enough but it didn't feel right, it just didn't feel right.

Should he badger the old woman, he asked himself. She may have suffered enough, and if all he had was a hunch and he was wrong, he may aggravate the old woman even more.

By the window, with the view of the several blacksmith shops and the sand machine outside, Mayor Hobbes kept talking, his hands doing a cutting motion.

Then again, he'd always trusted his gut and his gut told him something was wrong, very wrong. He had to find out, he decided. All he'll do is ask a few question, that's all. Nothing untoward.

"Isn't that right?"

Mayor Hobbes' question broke him out of his thoughts. His eyes glanced side to side. Oh oh, he thought. He'd been caught not listening but he had to make sure that Mayor Hobbes didn't know that he knew he'd been caught not listening.

"Uh yes, Mr. Mayor," Knight Ward improvised. "You're exactly right." A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head encased in the iron helm.

Mayor Hobbes gazed at him inquisitively and narrowed his eyes . . . but then, he gave a closed smile in affirmation. "Yes indeed, knight leader," Mayor Hobbes said pleased. "My enemies are indeed everywhere and not just outside those walls." He pointed to the walls of the Wardland beyond the town hall. "Good talk," he continued. "I hope to continue this conversation in the future."

Inwardly, Knight Ward breathed a sigh of relief. Whew, he said to himself relieved. That was close. "Thank you, Mr. Mayor," he said with a slight bow.

With that, he took his leave and headed for the auditorium. In a rush, he headed down the marble stairs and picked up the pace towards the auditorium.

Inside, the place hadn't yet been cleaned though several custodians were busy cleaning up the resource blocks and pieces of food hovering about. At the center of the auditorium, Elmyra, head of the town hall staff, supervised the clean-up.

Knight Ward hurried to her. "Elmyra," he said. "Remember that old woman at the arrival ceremony?"

Elmyra only gave her a confused look back upon hearing his question. "The old woman?"

"You know," Knight Ward said as though it was obvious who he was referring to. "The one in the corner." His eyes darted to the far off corner in the auditorium.

"You must be mistaken," Elmyra said to Knight Ward's horror. "I have the ledger here. There weren't any old women in the arrival ceremony . . ."

It was the end of the day with the sun began to dip into the horizon, and in Castle Wardland, the door to Knight Ward's room opened with a creak. He plodded into the room more fatigued than at anytime he ever felt.

The voices. They wouldn't stop.

 _Hafashafashafasha Hafashafashafasha Hafashafashafasha_

He took off his armor one by one and put it in his double chest. Maybe if he went to sleep the voices would stop, and he'll be back to his old self again. Then, from his inventory, he took out the old leather-bound book the old woman at the auditorium gave him. It should have been easy to store in the inventory, but he stopped anyways and looked at it.

He started to breathe heavily. It called to him . . .

 _Hafashafashafasha Hafashafashafasha Hafash—Open me . . ._

Hearing it, Knight Steve was stunned for a moment as he gazed again at the book in his hand. He didn't know if his eyes were deceiving him, but the book, it seemed to be _glowing._

 _Open me . . . Open me . . ._

The voices, they were getting stronger. His hand came closer and closer the book, ready to open it . . .

He stopped and shook his head once more. I'll do it later, he thought quickly, and he put it away in the chest, which clunked closed as soon as he stored it.

Knight Ward turned to his bed. I need to get some sleep, he told himself, and he went to his bed even as sweat rolled down the sides of his head.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **THE OLD WOMAN** hobbled down the darkened street. Cramped brick and cobblestone structures lined both sides of the street with torches giving enough light to prevent monsters spawning in the deep dark. An untamed wolf barked loudly somewhere in the distance, and on the cobblestone street, the old woman's shadow stretched grotesquely, several times larger than the stooped figure that tried to make its way to her unspecified destination.

As the old woman passed by an industrial building, Knight Ward poked out of a set of trash and random wood blocks. Several pieces of paper floated above the ground and blocks that went straight for the knight once he poked out of his hiding spot. The old woman didn't notice and continued to hobble out on the street.

Knight Ward watched her with keen interest.

A witch.

That's what she was. He finally guessed as to the old woman's true identity when to his surprise, Elmyra told him that there was no old woman at the arrival ceremony. At first, he was surprised. How could that be, he had thought. Then, after returning to his office in Castle Wardland, in the jail section of the castle just above the dungeon, he finally solved the mystery. The old woman must have cast a spell or drank a potion to make her true form invisible to some people.

With that solved, now he was going to find out why she was here. The old woman's form began to recede farther up on the street. It was time to move.

Knight Ward made his way out of his hiding place, and careful to keep in the shadows, he trailed the old woman. With hurried steps, he began to catch up to her.

Getting closer and closer, he could hear more clearly her steps scratching on the cobblestone streets. He was so concentrated on her that he didn't notice the stick on the ground. It snapped upon his stepping on it.

Hearing the sound, the witch turned around. Her ugly wrinkled visage scanned the street but apparently not seeing anything, she turned back around and hobbled once more.

Knight Ward held his breath. He had hidden in a side alley and thanked his lucky stars that he was not noticed. Seeing the coast clear, he set out once more to tail the witch.

He followed her for some time in the industrial quarter until he saw her enter a brick building that looked to have seen better days. Some of the windows had blown out, the door was damaged, and the trash surrounding the building added to its unkempt appearance.

The door closed behind the witch, and Knight Ward snuck up but stopped to figure out his next course of action. Can't follow her in, he decided. He didn't know what was inside, and the chance at discovery was way too high. The witch could be waiting for him right at the entrance for all he knew.

Hmmmm, he thought. And then his eyes went up to the roof. Noticing a brick outbuilding on the roof, he knew what to do. He went up to the alley beside the brick structure and began his ascent. He'd done this a million times before.

One by one, sand blocks, taken from his inventory, stacked atop one another with Knight Ward gaining one block up with each stack. Finally, a tall tower of sand formed, and he reached the level of the roof. He followed it up with a single jump onto the roof of the brick building, finishing his attempt to scale the building.

There was no time to waste, however. It was darker up here than on the street, but Knight Ward made his way to the brick outbuilding. Situating himself, he peeked into the window where below the witch already hard at work doing her evil acts.

Like he guessed, the inside was as unkempt as the outside. Stacks of furniture and other random miscellaneous stuff like ovens, crafting tables, and beds were all around the witch as she whisked a potion in her hand. Then, she threw the potion off to the distance. The potion bottle broke in a screech and a hissing sound occurred. Knight Ward tried to see what had happened, but from his vantage point, all he could see was the witch, who only stared intently ahead as if she could see someone else in the room. For the first time as well, he noticed slight fear on the witch's face.

"Oh great king," the witch said slavishly, holding out her hands as if in supplication. "I have done as you have commanded!"

Knight Ward couldn't see the mysterious stranger, but he could definitely hear him. He felt chillier now as well even inside his iron armor.

"Why have I not been released?" the mysterious voice, a low guttural sound of deep malevolence, said impatiently.

The witch widened her eyes in fear. "I thought he would have opened it by now, my lord!"

"Yet, he has not . . ."

"He will, my king!" the witch replied back. "He will open the book. The Diary of Lost Souls!"

Above, Knight Ward watched with increasing concern. The Diary of Lost Souls? What was this diary and more importantly, where?

Something darkened inside the building for a moment and then returned back to torchlight. "Do not fail me . . ."

Out of the corner of his eye, Knight Ward saw a black cat up on the edge of the brick building, and he slowly turned his head towards it.

The cat slanted its head. "Meow!"

Oh no, he thought. It'll blow his position! "Shoo," he said quietly, waving it away. "Shoo."

The cat was undeterred. "Meow!"

He had to think fast now. What could he do though. Think Knight Ward think! An answer came to him.

Getting a raw fish from his inventory, he held it up in the air with the cat perking up its attention at the delicious snack.

Waving it in the air, he then threw it over the building. The cat bounded to it and hopped down some wood rubbish at the side of the building headed to its catch.

The cat gone, he turned his attention back to the window and the witch and her mysterious guest below.

". . . Release the Diary and you will release me!" the mysterious voice finished. The witch looked back eagerly, a malicious sneer on her face.

The dark sky above, there was only a look of grave concern on Knight Ward's face.

The voices would not stop.

In his room in Castle Wardland, Knight Steve lay squirming in his bed. Outside the window, night gripped the city of Wardland and above was a crisp night with a full moon clear in the dark sky.

 _Open me . . . Open me . . . Open me . . ._

He was in that state between sleep and wakefulness but only the voice consumed his full attention. His face contorted in pain.

Everything told him, he shouldn't do as the voice commanded, that something bad would happen if he did but yet, he wanted to, he wanted to open the book.

Knight Steve suddenly sat up on his bed in a cold sweat. He panted with his chest heaving up and down, up and down. His head turned to the double chest where inside he knew the book the old woman gave him lay.

Why was it telling him to open the book? he asked himself. Maybe, he should get it over with, he thought. Just do as the voice says. It was just a stupid book.

No, he said to himself. He won't. There was the expedition tomorrow, he shouldn't waste his time. The thought of getting away from Wardland, getting away from that book calmed him. His breathing became more and more normal. Besides, it was all in his head. He'd been working too hard the past few days. Must have messed him up somehow.

Knight Steve lay back down on the pillow and pulled the blanket around him. Tomorrow is another day, he said to himself as he tried to snap shut his eyes. Tomorrow is another day.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **THROUGH THE JUNGLE,** Knight Steve, Knight Duper, and Knight Aaron rode up on their horses as they finally came up to the jungle temple. Hidden inside the dense foliage, the jungle temple's stone brickwork was partly masked by moss, ivy, and the leaves and branches of jungle trees. Arches and spires poked up into the sky only to be bested by the jungle trees which rose even higher. It looked like an Aztec temple he'd read of in the library or so Knight Aaron said, craning his neck up at the seemingly abandoned structure.

Their horses had a hard time with the uneven terrain, but they made do hopping and riding down to the base of the temple. The horses' hooves sounded on the stone floor finally passing the soft earth of the jungle ground.

Knight Duper and Knight Aaron dismounted first on the ground and looked up at the structure ahead with Knight Steve still on his horse looking preoccupied. They had left earlier in the day for the expedition, riding most of the morning to reach this spot. Reports had come in from players of a jungle temple somewhere in this vicinity, and they were not mistaken. Of course, they'd brought extra supplies to go on this expedition with items like extra food, camping tents, coal, and other things taking up room in their inventory. They just hoped there was enough spaces left in there for the treasure they hoped to bring back to Wardland. Diamonds especially with Knight Duper's eyes shining greedily when he had said it during the trip over.

Knight Steve, however, showed the least bit interest in the jungle temple. He didn't get much sleep last night and his eyes drooped as he sat atop his horse Durandal, who, for this occasion, wore iron horse armor.

"Come on," Knight Duper said. He'd already had his iron sword ready as was Knight Aaron who looked equally as excited to explore the jungle temple.

Knight Steve looked up upon hearing Knight Duper's words. "Oh ok," he said. He dismounted the horse but upon landing on the ground, a familiar voice came to him.

 _Open me . . ._

Knight Steve, in iron armor, closed his eyes and put his hand to his head. The voice, it became more and more frequent now.

"Hurry up, will you!" Knight Duper said excitedly farther up ahead. He and Knight Aaron were already close to the entrance.

Knight Steve shook his head and then unsheathed his sword. "Coming," he said as loud as he could, which was still lower than usual due to his fatigue. With a spurt, he joined his knight friends, who had waited for him at the jungle temple entrance.

Ahead, the jungle temple entrance led into a dark hallway with no torches in sight. That should be a good sign. Usually, a lack of torches meant no one had explored it yet.

Knight Duper took a deep breath and then said, "Let's go." Sword drawn in one hand with a torch in the other, he led the way inside the dark tunnel corridor, cobwebs clinging on the corners of the ceiling.

The first chamber was nondescript. Markings of what looked like a face were on the stone brick walls. This time, torches clung on the walls, giving some light to the room. Several corridor entrances led off into different directions, but no treasure chests yet, much to Knight Duper's annoyance.

"Let's keep going," Knight Duper said, slightly disappointed. Knight Aaron nodded seriously beside him. Knight Steve took up the back of the party. He was so tired. So tired.

They continued on choosing the path in front of them. Again, nothing extraordinary. The corridor led them to chamber after chamber, one smaller than the other. The odd slime or two disgustingly jumped up at them but they were easily dispatched giving them slimeballs in their inventory. Good for making sticky pistons.

When they came upon yet another empty chamber with only mossy stone brick to show for their efforts, they decided to take a break and eat a loaf of bread. Their hearts had been gradually decreasing with all the strenuous effort they've done exploring the jungle temple.

He and Knight Aaron stood in silence together, bread in hand. Unlike Knight Aaron who munched quickly on his bread, Knight Steve only took sporadic bites on his food.

"Hope we find some diamonds," Knight Aaron said, trying to make small talk. "Or even emeralds. I'm running low on that to trade with the villagers."

"Uh, yeah," Knight Steve said, slowly munching on his bread. He didn't feel like conversing at the moment.

Once more, an awkward silence passed between them inside the darkened chamber. A moment later, the silence was broken.

"Hey, I found something!" Knight Duper said, behind them. He had gone ahead to explore the close by rooms.

The voice startled Knight Steve for a moment and he turned around quickly. He'd had enough of voices lately.

"Finally," Knight Aaron said, hoisting up his sword.

"Come on, this way!"

Knight Aaron followed eagerly, but Knight Steve lagged behind them.

Knight Duper led them to an out of the way room, and once the door opened, they found it to be a . . . library. Bookshelves filled with books lined up in rows with a mezzanine floor higher up, accessed by wooden ladders. Cobwebs in the environs suggested this place had not been used in a long time. More importantly, they saw—

"Treasure chests!" exclaimed Knight Duper loudly. Indeed, treasure chests were up on the main floor and on the mezzanine floor. Eagerly, both Knight Duper and Knight Aaron headed towards them with Knight Duper heading to the one on the library floor and Knight Aaron climbing up to the mezzanine. Knight Steve decided to climb the ladder and follow Knight Aaron up there.

Knight Steve catching up to him, Knight Aaron rubbed his hands greedily in front of the treasure chest. "Hope there's something good," he said eagerly.

Without any prodding, Knight Aaron then opened the treasure chest.

Creak

It was met with frowns. Inside, the treasure chest only contained a few pieces of string, a bucket, and some cocoa seeds. They had plenty of cocoa seeds!

Knight Aaron took it worse than Knight Steve. "Somebody's been here!" Knight Aaron said incredulously. Knight Steve, however, only looked down, the useless treasure chest only a passing concern. The books did remind him of the book in his own chest back in Castle Wardland . . .

"Ugh, nothing here either," Knight Duper said from below on the library floor.

Knight Aaron looked like steam was going to come out of his iron helm. "This _sucks!"_ he said and then kicked the bookshelf with force. His foot landed on one of the books but instead of thudding it seemed to have . . . triggered something.

The book slid back into the recesses of the bookshelf, and after that with gears sounding, the bookshelf itself turned around on its side to reveal a darkened secret chamber.

Knight Aaron looked stunned at what had happened, and after a moment, as if snapping out of his reverie, Knight Steve noticed too.

The secret chamber inside was dimly lit with enough torchlight to just barely see what at the center of the chamber was a single treasure chest.

Knight Aaron eyes veered back and forth. "What the . . ."

"Hey, what was that . . ." Knight Duper said as he climbed up the ladder to the mezzanine floor. "Oh, he finished, also seeing the secret chamber.

Knight Aaron looked back at Knight Duper and then once he joined them, they all set towards the treasure chest inside. Their footsteps echoed inside going from the wood of the mezzanine to the stone brick floor of the secret chamber. All the while, the treasure chest captivated their attention.

"Hey, Knight Steve," Knight Duper said. "You haven't opened one. Maybe you'll be luckier."

He was caught unaware by the invitation, joined by a nod of affirmation by Knight Aaron, encouraging him.

"Oh um," he said. "Ok."

Both his knight friends moved to the side to let Knight Steve through, and with tentative step after tentative step, he neared the treasure chest until it was right in front of him.

His hand reached out to open it . . .

Even as his hand reached out, above the three knights, on the ceiling of the secret chamber, a hydra, a malevolent creature with three snake heads stirred.

Ready to strike.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **KNIGHT WARD LED** a group of knights to the industrial quarter warehouse where he last saw the witch talk to the mysterious creature. He had waited until now to arrest the witch and bring her to justice but he needed backup first. Who knows what powers the witch had. The iron armor clad knights marched behind their leader with swords drawn and resolute faces. He had briefed them back in Castle Wardland, and now they were on their way to the witch to bring her in for questioning.

Their iron boots echoed on the cobblestone streets of this part of Wardland. It was night with the moon and stars high above and the torches of the lampposts, made out of oak wood, cast their shadows on the street as if they were double in number.

Knight Ward led the way until they stopped in front of the derelict brick building, still as unkempt and abandoned as he had found it. Oakwood planks boarded up some of the windows of this once fine building.

He didn't say a word. Knight Ward only turned his head and nodded to his men to begin action. Like a well-oiled fighting unit, they moved in unison towards the door. Knight Ward kicked the door open and in they went into the building. He and the rest of the knights gripped their swords as they took careful step after careful step with boxes, crates, and old furniture piled up around them in haphazard fashion. Posts held up a wooden catwalk that snaked above them. Above, a window held a view of the outside sky where he had peeked in earlier and found the witch's hideout. Knight Ward's eyes darted around ever mindful of danger. This place could be booby trapped for all he knew.

He needn't have worried. They found the witch at the center of the building stooped over a cauldron. With a witch's hat on her head, she didn't seem to have noticed knights come into her hideout. Instead, she was fixated on the bubbling cauldron, stirring and stirring the sickly green liquid. He put a hand over his nose having caught a whiff of the slight rotten egg smell even from his position a bit back from her.

 _Hmmm Ahmmm Hmmm Hmma, Hmmm hmmm Hmmm Hmmma,_ she hummed, not even caring that knights with swords were behind her.

His men behind them gave each other curious glances not expecting the sight. Knight Ward, however, kept his resolve and gripped his sword tighter.

"By order of Wardland, I hereby put you under arrest!"

 _Hmmm Ahmmm Hmmm Hmma, Hmmm Ahmmm Hmmm Hmmma,_ she hummed once more as if oblivious to his proclamation. The witch kept stirring the cauldron, some of the foul liquid spilling over to the floor with a sizzling sound.

Knight Ward felt his fury growing. "Did you hear me, witch!" he snarled. The knights behind him shifted uncomfortably, but still they had their swords drawn. "You are under arrest by the Knights of Wardland!"

The witch creaked her head sideways towards them, the wart on her nose clearly visible. "I heard you, knight . . ." she said. Even with a smile on her face, it looked like a sneer. "I just don't have to listen to you . . ." She turned back to the cauldron and stirred.

Knight Ward gritted his teeth. She's not going to come peaceably, he thought. They'll have to forcibly arrest her. With one glance back, his men understood. Swords in hand, they advanced upon her.

He led the troop. If they could strike her quickly, they could incapacitate her and bring her in alive.

They didn't get close.

The witch merely looked back and with bared teeth and eyes glowing for just a moment, she transformed before them. Instantly, her form became that of a cat. The knights' advance stopped at the sudden transformation where the cat bared its fangs and hissed. The cat bounded away quickly climbing up the boxes and crates and towards a blown out window.

The witch had escaped.

Knight Duper and Knight Aaron rolled away as the hydra lunged down at them. Having missed its targets, it suddenly coiled up. Each one of its three heads sprung up while it bared its fangs and flicked its forked tongues.

Knight Steve turned around finally and the treasure chest hinged closed even as Knight Duper and Knight Aaron drew their swords to combat the beast.

"What is that?!" Knight Aaron said aloud, staring aghast at the beast and holding his sword in front of him defensively. Knight Steve didn't know what was going on. One moment he was about to open the chest and the next a creature was attacking them . . .

The hydra slithered off to the side of the secret chamber, while the two knights circled away from it. Knight Steve, on the other hand, stayed put, kneeling in front of the chest and looking up confusedly at the monster.

Knight Duper nodded one by one as if counting. "One, two, three heads, it's a hydra!"

One of the hyrda's heads lowered with menace in its eyes.

Knight Aaron attacked first. _"Ayaahhh!"_ shouted his war cry as he charged. The hydra saw its chances and one of its heads snapped at him. He was faster though and jumped, landing on its head and with one arc, his sword sliced through its neck!

The other hydra heads screamed in pain even while the severed hydra head fell to the floor with Knight Aaron with it. The severed head landed in a thunk and he hopped down to the stone floor triumphant. "HaHa!" Knight Aaron said exultantly. He turned back around with sword drawn towards the rest of the hydra. "One down, three to go!"

All their eyes, however, watched in horror as the most unexpected thing happened. Instead of nursing its wounds, the hydra recuperated. It hissed once again and then, on the stump, blocks added one by one until the third head grew back!

Knight Aaron's jaw slackened. "Looks like three to go," Knight Duper said from behind him, equally as astonished.

"What do we do! What do we do!" Knight Aaron said running back, but he didn't get to his friend. The hydra's tail coiled around Knight Aaron and hoisted him up into the air. "Aaaahhh!" he screamed.

Knight Steve finally got his bearings back upon seeing his friend in danger. He fumbled for his sword, but then, he grimaced and grabbed his head with both hands as a familiar voice echoed inside.

 _Open me Open me Open me . . ._

Knight Duper watched aghast at the hydra drawing Knight Aaron closer to its jaws and what was happening to Knight Steve? "Focus!" he scolded to Knight Steve as he ran by and stopping suddenly, he threw his iron sword at the distracted hydra.

The sword spun in the air until it landed on the hydra's chest, making it scream in pain and loosening its tail's grip on Knight Aaron. He thudded on the ground and a thwack sound reverberated in the air, meaning that Knight Aaron most certainly lost some hearts.

Recovering, Knight Aaron ran back to his knight friends drinking a healing potion as he did so. Behind him, the hydra heads each tried to snap at the impaled iron sword lodged in its body. The monster kept blinking as it continued to lose hearts, which enraged it even further.

Knight Steve ran down and joined his knight friends. "I'm sorry," he said, feeling guilt at what happened. It wasn't like him to be like this. He had finally found his sword.

"Let's worry about that later," Knight Duper said, focusing on the task at hand. Knight Aaron joined them, still a bit shaken at the harrowing events.

"Thanks," he said.

Knight Duper made a determined nod back.

In front of them, one of the hydra heads bit onto the impaled iron sword and ripping it out, the hydra head threw the sword to the ground, making a clanging sound. With that done, it focused once more at the knights, each head baring its teeth, more enraged than ever.

"I have a plan," Knight Duper said to the both of them. The Hydra slithered closer trying to find an opening. "Go distract them," he continued.

"Why?" Knight Aaron asked. He held his sword in front of him. Knight Steve didn't know why either, but a part of him was fearful not of the hydra but of the voice inside. He didn't know when he was going to hear it.

"Don't have time to explain, just go!" Knight Duper exclaimed.

"I hope this works . . ." Knight Aaron said as he ran off to the side close to the mossy stone brick walls of the secret chamber.

A moment later, Knight Steve moved off to the other side, closer to the chest.

"Woooooo! Wooooo!" Knight Aaron shouted, waving his arms. "Over here, ugly!" Two of the hydra heads snapped to his direction. It hissed louder.

Knight Steve waved his hands out too. "Yeah, over here," he said but not as loud as Knight Aaron's hollers. At the back of his mind, he didn't want to hear that voice again. Especially not in a fight.

The hydra slithered off slowly towards Knight Aaron's direction. It seemed it was trying to find an opening. "There you go!" Knight Aaron said. He waved his arms even faster. _"Weeehhhh Weeeehhhh,"_ he continued trying to make the most annoying sound possible.

His heart thumping, Knight Steve gaped at the hydra coming towards Knight Aaron and then he looked back to Knight Duper . . . who was busy at work _constructing_ something.

Knight Duper had already built two pillars out of sandstone and was now hopping up at a third pillar. Upon finishing the pillar, hopped down and headed towards the last end to make the final pillar.

Knight Steve closed his eyes. Please no voices, he thought. Please no voices.

The hydra seemed to have caught up to Knight Aaron at the corner of the secret chamber, but then, he ran away as fast as he could. "Haha!" he said. "Can't catch me!"

Over at Knight Duper's spot, he was putting the final touches on his creation — a platform. Four pillars held up a ceiling where on top of it, Knight Duper hopped up, placing gravel underneath him. Already, several columns of gravel had already been built atop the platform.

"Ready!" Knight Duper shouted excitedly. Knight Aaron ran back. Knight Steve saw it too and joined him a moment later even as Knight Duper hopped down to his other knight friends. He quickly ran under the platform.

"Follow me!"

The two knights joined him. "Get him under here," he said and then focused his attention at the Hydra. "LALALAALALALAA" Knight Duper said. He waved his arms in the air excitedly.

Knight Aaron looked up at the underside of the platform, and seeming to understand, he followed suit. "Heeeeeeyyyyyyyy! Heeeeyyyyyyyyyy! He followed it up by putting his pressed together index finger and thumb to his mouth and whistling loudly.

Knight Steve figured it out too. He was still a bit slow at understanding but he finally understood. They were trying to get the hydra under the platform so they can break one of the blocks above causing the gravel to fall on it. "Over here, over here," he said. At least the voice hadn't come back yet, and he got a bit of confidence from that.

More determined than ever, the hydra slithered towards the noisy knights, hissing louder and louder.

The noise seemed to combine into one jumbled mass of annoying sound with each of the knights shouting aloud and waving their arms.

Knight Steve began to smile too and he began to wave his arm more and more excitedly as the hydra now slithering fast towards them. They certainly sounded annoying, it was actually kind of—

He closed his eyes as the voice came to him unexpectedly. _Open meeeeeeeee Open meeeeee._

The Hydra arced back and sprung at the knights. Knights Duper and Aaron rolled to their respective sides but Knight Steve was still there clutching his head.

The Hydra heads opened wide ready to snap at Knight Steve . . .

At the last moment, a hand yanked Knight Steve off to the side, saving him, as the Hydra landed and caught only air. The blocks above got picked with a pickaxe one by one and finally, towers of gravel crashed down right on top of the three headed monster, crushing it!

Knight Duper caught his breath looking at the crushed monster. Its tail was the only thing visible from the mountain of gravel on top of it.

Knight Aaron and Knight Steve were on the ground. He had saved him and Knight Aaron looked back shaken at Knight Steve at what had happened. Knight Steve shook his head, the voice now gone from his head. "Thanks," he said, quietly.

"Is everyone alright?" Knight Duper said, coming towards them.

"Um yeah," Knight Aaron said, picking himself up. He gave an unsure glance at Knight Steve who also picked himself up and dusted himself off.

"Looks like it's dead," Knight Duper said with a smile, looking over at the crushed hydra. The tail twitched for the last time.

Seeming to have forgotten what happened with Knight Steve, Knight Aaron looked over at the dead hydra and smiled. "That was awesome!"

Knight Steve laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, awesome," he said in a whisper.

"Good job everybody!" Knight Duper said. "My idea was good, wasn't it? I thought of it quickly and—Hey where are you going?"

He caught Knight Aaron heading straight for the treasure. He followed him, but Knight Steve trailed behind both of them as they approached the treasure chest in the middle of the secret chamber.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **THEY TRAVELED THROUGH** the forest biome. Filled with sprucewood trees flecked with snow atop its leaf blocks, Knights Duper, Aaron, and Steve rode on their horses. Headed for home.

The journey was quiet, winded after the excitement back in the secret chamber. After killing the hydra, they opened the chest and found . . .

Diamonds!

Knights Duper and Aaron couldn't believe how many there were. Stacks and stacks of diamonds, so much that it filled the limit of ninety nine diamonds in one inventory slot and had to take up another inventory slot for the remainder. They found other items inside the chest too. Torches, buckets, and some watermelon seeds for the mundane stuff but also gold and some emeralds. Their inventories were full and they had to unload some superfluous items like dirt they picked up.

Knight Steve, however, gave the treasure no heed. He filled his inventory with the items they gave him, but that was all the attention he brought. His horse, Durandal, lowered its head as it traveled on the snow forest. It was bit tense on its haunches seeming to know something was wrong with its master, who only gazed off into a void while riding it. Night was approaching with the sun in the distance, past the canopy of tree leaf blocks, slowly dipping in the horizon.

He'll open it, Knight Steve decided. He'll open that book. The voice had just come to him again just a moment before. If he opened the book, he said to himself as he stared off into the distance, maybe the voice will stop.

That wasn't the only reason.

He _wanted_ to open the book. The thought made him feel eerily good inside as if he knew he was doing something bad and actually enjoyed it. The iron helm on his head, a naughty smile crossed his face. He'll open the book soon; all he had to do was head home.

Help!

Knight Duper, at the vanguard, halted his horse, which caused the rest of the horses in the troop to stop as well. They all turned to the direction of the sound including Knight Steve who had turned a moment later.

In between a set of sprucewood trees, a villager woman stood there. She looked haggard and stressed. "Please help us, brave knights," she pleaded. "We're headed to our village not far from here, but our cart, it broke." She motioned to the forest behind her. "We don't want to be left alone here . . . especially with night approaching."

Knight Duper looked at his fellow knights to get a gauge of the unexpected request and then back to the villager woman. Knight Steve wanted to tell him to ignore her. This will only delay things! They had to get home!

"Uh sure," Knight Duper said. "We're always glad to help."

The villager woman smiled and relief swept her face. "Oh thank you, thank you, brave knights. It won't take long, I promise."

She began to lead the way and Knights Duper and Aaron followed with a kick of their horses. Knight Steve looked annoyedly to the side but he went along with it. He hoped this wouldn't take long at all.

The villager woman told the truth. They quickly found her broken cart. One of its wooden harnesses that should be tied to their horse broke off, while the villager husband stood by it. He pressed his hat to his chest. "Thank you, thank you, brave nights," he said with a quivering voice. He, for sure, feared the night that was coming.

Knights Duper and Aaron dismounted on their horses to check on the cart. Knight Steve followed suit. He looked down as he went towards them, feeling his agitation grow at every moment's delay.

"Really, it's no problem," Knight Aaron said.

Knight Duper checked the broken harness. Its iron hinge broke from too much use. "Easy enough to fix," Knight Duper said after diagnosing the problem.

"We didn't have iron," the villager husband explained. His wife nodded in affirmation.

"And we didn't know where to find the nearest iron ore."

Knight Steve rubbed his arm, growing more and more antsy as he watched Knight Duper set to work. The knight had set down a crafting table and began to assemble the items to make the necessary iron hinge. Come on, Knight Steve thought, quietly urging the matter to speed up. Pick up the pace!

He got his wish. A moment later, Knight Duper crafted the item and fixed the broken harness. The villager's horse neighed in excitement and both villager husband and wife closed their eyes and exclaimed in relief. Knight Steve saw it too. Thank God, he thought, finally knowing this delay was over.

"Thank you, Thank you," the villager wife said. "I don't know how we can repay you."

Knight Aaron spoke first hastily. His stomach rumbled. "Well, do you have any . . ."

"No, no. No trouble at all," Knight Duper interrupted. He gave Knight Aaron a dirty look, who shrugged his shoulders as if saying _Sorry, I was hungry!_

"The Knights of Wardland are always proud to serve," he said. "If there's no other problems then, we'll be on our way." All the knights turned to head to their horses.

Finally, Knight Steve thought. It took all his energy not to roll his eyes. Knight Duper got on his horse but not before both the villager husband and wife came up to him.

"Wait, wait," the villager wife called out. The knights had by now mounted on their horses. "We can't let you leave, not without showing our gratitude."

"Yes, that's right," the villager husband added. "Our village is not far from here. We're having a feast and it would be an honor for all of you to join us" His wife looked at her husband and then looked up at them hopefully.

Knight Duper was rendered speechless "I—I."

"A feast?" Knight Aaron said, his eyes flashing hungrily.

Knight Steve's face felt hot. This was not part of the plan! They were going home! _"No!"_ he exclaimed, so loud that all heads turned to him.

Knight Duper looked over, surprised at his outburst.

The spotlight on him, he knew he had to come up with a reasonable excuse. "I mean," Knight Steve said quickly. "They're expecting us back in Wardland very soon."

"Surely, it's not an emergency," Knight Duper said to him.

"Yeah, I'm sure they won't miss us." Knight Aaron said. "Besides, it's a feast!"

"It won't take long, brave knights," the villager woman said. "It's just to show our thanks!"

Knight Steve didn't contest the issue. Instead, they decided to go to the village, which the village husband and wife reassured was not far at all. Off they went and Knight Steve grew increasingly annoyed that they were heading _away_ from Wardland.

Day had finally turned into night and to Knight Steve's further annoyance, Knight Duper decided to set up camp. Tents were quickly set up and a campfire made. It roared in the night as they ate their dinner. It turned out they had some raw chicken to roast! Happily, the villagers and Knights Duper and Aaron sat together around the fire munching on the delicious food, but Knight Steve retired early and went off into the dark to be alone.

He slumped against the sprucewood tree as a familiar voice sounded in his head.

 _Open me . . . Open me . . ._

The voice had come back, and he closed his eyes upon hearing it again. Soon, he thought. They'll be home and he can finally do as the voice says. Do as the voice commanded.

Moments passed once more and soon, everyone had gone to their tents with the villager husband and wife sharing one. The light from the campfire had prevented anything from spawning nearby but while everyone was asleep, Knight Steve was wide awake. He hadn't bothered to go into his tent and had simply stayed sitting down on the ground and slumped against the sprucewood tree. Dark circles had formed under his eyes.

 _Open me . . . Open me . . ._

The voice came more and more frequent now but he didn't mind. He almost found it soothing like a good friend had come and kept him company. His eyes snapped to his horse Durandal, hitched against a tree.

Everyone was asleep now, he thought. He didn't have to do what was expected of him. An idea had crept in his mind just now. That means they wouldn't notice.

Quietly, he made his way over to Durandal. The horse was startled a bit, but he calmed it by touching the bridge of its nose. "Shhhhhh," he whispered. "We're going now, okay. We're going home."

Durandal obeyed its master. Knight Steve mounted his horse, and then kicked its side, commanding it to go. With only the barest sound of hooves on the soft ground, they rode away, leaving the base camp behind.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **OVERCAST CLOUDS CAST** a pall on Wardland Square adding to the already darkening landscape as night quickly approached. The cobblestone square was flanked by handsome homes on all sides while rising into the sky, Castle Wardland with its prominent central keep dominated the skyline. A slight breeze blew on the decorative trees atop marble planters while Knight Ward awaited, the shadows of dusk quickly growing around him.

His guest hadn't arrived yet, but he knew she would come. He had on his iron armor along with his black cape behind him. His sword was at his side, not yet drawn but ready for battle. Under the iron helm, he scanned the area until finally, someone appeared in the empty square . . .

An old woman in dark rags and pointy hat hobbled on the square. Hunched down, she still didn't seem to be as weak as her age would belie.

"I knew you would come," Knight Ward said aloud. His "guest" was the witch, of course, and he was not disappointed. He had put up wanted posters with her ugly picture on it around Wardland detailing this meeting of theirs. He had made an offer she couldn't refuse.

At last, the old woman removed the outer layer of her rags revealing herself to be the witch. Under her pointy hat, her old and haggard face contorted maliciously. "I came for your terms," she said across the square from Knight Ward. The air seemed colder than usual in this cool summer night.

"And I give you my word," Knight Ward said. He still had not reached for his sword but he was trained enough to reach it for it at a moment's notice. "If you beat me one by one, then you will gain safe passage out of Wardland."

Upon hearing the words, the witch gave out a laugh so derisive it seemed she had lost her mind completely. _"With pleasure!"_

Suddenly, after saying the words, the witch levitated into the air with arms extended to the side. More ominously, fireballs began to form in both of her decrepit hands. A maniacal scream erupted from her, and once the fireballs fully formed, she threw two of them straight at Knight Ward.

The fireballs sped towards him, even catching some of the trees and tree leaf blocks on fire as it went on its deadly trajectory, but just in time, he rolled to the side and dodged the sudden attack. The fireballs boomed causing dark gashes on the cobblestone square. A crackling sound came from the burning tree leaf blocks.

Knight Ward rolled into a kneeling position and took in his breath. He wasn't expecting such an attack and now that the witch was in the air, he didn't know how he was going to get her with just a sword. Still, he had to try.

He drew his sword and readied for battle. He had to find an opening!

The witch laughed again maniacally as she flew around to get a better vantage point. Now up in the air ahead of him, she spotted her target and threw another giant fireball. The flaming ball whooshed once more, and Knight Ward dodged again by lunging away.

 _"Hahahaahahah,"_ the witch cackled. _"How do you hope to defeat me!"_

She threw another round of fireballs, this time too many to count. Knight Ward tensed up upon seeing them and took cover behind a decorative tree. The fireballs landed around him and on the tree itself leaving destruction and burning in its wake. Smoke rose up and the acrid smell of fire was everywhere.

He had to do something, he chided himself. Then, suddenly, he got an idea. Sword in hand, he ran to an open area of the square and stood there, making himself into an open target. "Get at me, witch!" he taunted.

Anger contorted the witch's face as she hovered in the air, and she acquiesced to his demand. She gathered both of her hands together and made a fireball, bigger than the rest. The fireball grew in size and then threw the fireball at the Knight of Wardland.

Knight Steve saw his chance. He needed pinpoint timing . . .

The fireball whooshed straight at him, but when it seemed he was about to be engulfed into flames, Knight Ward blocked the fireball with his sword. The fireball bounced back and this time whooshed back straight at the witch!

Seeing the incoming fireball, the witch's jaw slackened. She screamed as the fireball made its mark and damaged, she fell straight to the ground. Her body thudded on the cobblestone square.

Knight Ward caught his breath awaiting the next move by the witch, but she didn't move. She lay inert across from him, her body limp in the dark. The battle was over.

With measured steps, he went over to the witch's body with his sword pointed at her. He knew what he had to do. He had to make sure he finished her. He had to end it now.

He was before her. Smoke rose from her inert rag-covered body. "I will end your wretched life, _WITCH!"_

Knight Ward screamed a bloody war cry and prepared to plunge his sword into the witch, but before he could, as his sword was raised up in the air, the witch, who had once seemed lifeless was now not so, suddenly threw something at the unsuspecting knight.

It went straight for him. A deadly potion.

Outside the walls of Wardland, Knight Steve rode in the forest with blinding speed. The horse Durandal sped in the night-time forest, its hooves kicking up dirt as it rode onwards as fast as it seemed possible. Trees and tree leaf blocks whipped by him, but he didn't pay any attention to any of that.

 _Open me . . . Open me . . ._

The voice now accompanied his every waking moment and he goaded Durandal to go even faster. He was almost home.

Ahead in the distance, the walls came mercifully into view. "Raise the gates!" he yelled out. "Raise the gates!"

The knights up on the ramparts of the wall, illuminated only by torchlight, heard him and heeding his command, hurried to the crank. The first knight turned the crank handle and wheeled it round and round, causing the portcullis gate below to rise up. It rumbled as the portcullis gate continued to be raised.

Knight Steve didn't even stop to wait. His horse went even faster and apparently with enough space, sped right under the rising portcullis gate. Not skipping a beat, he continued on past the gate and into the city streets, not even thanking his fellow knights who, at the ramparts, watched the spectacle and gave each other confused glances.

With the darkened clouds above, Castle Wardland rose prominently into the skyline and Knight Steve never once turned his gaze away from it. He knew precisely what was inside that keep and towers.

 _Open me . . . Open me . . ._

Not too long now, he said to himself. He was paler now than he had ever been. His eyes cast hungrily on his room up in the central keep. It seemed there was special light there, burning just for him. He knew now too what awaited him. He didn't know how but he knew what it was.

The Diary of Lost Souls!


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **KNIGHT WARD COULD BARELY MOVE.**

In the square with Castle Wardland looming in the distance, he tried to move but every time, his body experienced a time delay. He had been hit with a slowness potion by the witch, the potion having broken on his iron armor and splashed all over him. Now, he could only try to shake off the potion's effects.

The witch took advantage of his incapacity. She kept throwing potion bottle after potion bottle at him, the most concerning of all was the poison potion. Knight Ward already felt his hearts turn green . . . and decreasing with every moment.

"My master will destroy you!" she screeched as she continued tossing the potions at him. A potion of harming landed on him, splashing as it made its mark and he screamed out and grimaced in pain. His hearts decreased even more. He fell to one knee, so weak he had become.

The witch's eyes flashed evilly upon seeing him ready for his destruction. She stepped forward, clawed hands extending out. "Now, it is I who will end your life!" she screeched. _"Hahahahahahaha."_

As Knight Ward felt the pain while he was on one knee, the witch brought her hands close together and a fireball began to grow and grow, ready to destroy him.

Over in another part of town, Alex was finally getting situated in her new apartment. It was a good sized room with a bed, chest, and even an oven along with plenty of wall space to put up a painting, a banner, or whatever she could come up with. The best part, though, were the views. Her apartment was in the Wardland Apartments, a castle converted into apartments so it was mostly made of sturdy stone brick walls, located just a bit outside downtown Wardland. The views outside this night from both the castle windows and balcony gave a full sweep of Wardland. From such a high vantage point in one of the old castle's towers, her apartment could see Castle Wardland, the Wardland Mayan Temple, the church steeples, and the wild environment beyond the walls. Torches and streetlights illuminated the city this night.

At the moment, she tidied up her new apartment and she had just placed a set of clothes into her chest. Not a bad place, she thought, looking around her new digs. Still, she was disappointed earlier. None of the people seemed interested in her becoming a knight. They had encouraged her to find a job and they had steered her into being a shop girl at a flower shop. It was nice for them to do that but it wasn't for her. She really wanted to become one of those knights. There were no girl knights though as far as she knew. Will being a girl be a problem in becoming a knight? she thought.

As she put away the last of her clothes into the drawer, a chill wind brushed past her causing goosebumps on her arms. _Brrrrr,_ she thought with the wind wiggling through her body for a moment.

The chill passed as suddenly as it came. What was that? Then, she shrugged her shoulders. Oh well. The chest closed and she looked around the new apartment. Let's see what else is there to do?

The fireball gathered above the witch's head. She had raised both her arms up and readied to bring the deathblow. The fireball crackled above.

"Time to _destroy_ you!" she screeched.

The fireball barreled down at him, and at any moment, it would hit him. He didn't have that many more hearts left. He wouldn't survive this if it made impact. . .

Knight Ward, still on one knee, didn't have time to think. At the last moment, he took out a sand block from his inventory and held it high up, using it like a shield.

It worked!

The fireball seared into the sand block, and it was so hot, it actually _transformed._

As Knight Ward gritted his teeth as well as sweating inside his iron armor from the heat of the fireball, the sand block gradually became a shard of glass right before his very eyes.

The witch watched with stunned horror at what was happening. He took his chance. Though he was running so low on hearts that he was shaking, he managed to get up and throw the glass block at the witch. The glass block shattered on her, catching her off guard, and he then kicked her in the gut, sending the witch falling back to the ground.

Knight Ward immediately drew his sword at the fallen witch. She lay back on the ground, finally seeing the deadly sword pointed straight at her. He had won the fight.

The door opened into Knight Steve's room, and he stumbled in. He was more pallid than ever and his heart beat so fast, he thought it would jump right out of his body. Sweat broke out all over his body and his hands were actually shaking, literally shaking. He couldn't believe it, he was actually here, and he was so close to the diary.

Outside his room in Castle Wardland, the night had fully come into its own. Darkness filled the sky with the stars dim and the moon high above.

He fell on his knees in front of the chest. _Finally,_ he thought. _I'm finally here._

The chest opened with a creak . . .

The diary, it was there, right on top of his stuff. Just where he had left it. He didn't know why he ever left it.

He picked up the leather-bound diary and held it up, admired it from every corner. For a moment, he thought it wasn't going to be there. That it gone missing somehow. But it was there. A tired smile crept on his face.

Holding the diary in his hand, the whispers came fast.

 _Hafashafashafasha Hafashafashafasha Hafashafashafasha_

They didn't need to tell him anymore. He was going to open it. It was clear on his mind.

This was it. He will finally do what the voice told him. What he told himself. He was going to open the Diary of Lost Souls.

With a shaking hand, he reached for the diary's cover and slowly, the cover flapped open . . .

And a sudden light shot up straight up into the sky, blinding everything in white.

Knight Ward pointed the sword at the witch, who lay on the square's cobblestone ground. She looked hurt as she looked up at him.

"Do you feel any remorse, witch?" he said, giving her a chance to repent. "Before I end you?"

Only hate came from the witch and then her eyes veered to the side as if noticing something. Knight Ward felt it too, a slight disturbance in the air as if something was very wrong with the world.

The witch began to cackle. _"Hahahaahaa,_ you're too late," she gleefully snared. "The diary has been released. My master is coming, my master is—"

Knight Ward's sword plunged into the witch, snuffing out her life. As he breathed in and out, she slumped back. The witch had finally met her demise.

He pulled out the sword, but when he did, he turned to look up as a shaft of light exploded out of Castle Wardland. The beam of light shot straight into the sky, and what he felt shook him to his very core. There was dark power there, he knew. Very very dark power.

"What in the world?!" Alex said to herself. She was on the balcony of her apartment, and she looked outward at the beam of light that shot out over in Castle Wardland. Though it looked like a light, it actually punched through the castle's structure, causing a huge hole as well as stray blocks to hover beside it where the light had shot out of. Down below on the city streets, other citizens of Wardland looked up at the unexpected light.

What is that? she thought, still awestruck at the sight before her. The shaft of light went straight up out of Castle Wardland and into the night sky above like a malevolent beacon.

Alex was so preoccupied with the sight that she didn't notice something coming after her. A ghoul, a baby ghast-like creature, flew up and into the balcony. It opened its fangs wide, ready to devour her.

Alex turned and finally noticed when it was just upon her . . .

 **TO BE CONTINUED . . .**


End file.
